The Government Delegation in Galicia informs that the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) will start tomorrow, Monday, March 10, a special control and surveillance campaign on the use of the safety belt and Child Restraint Systems (SRI), which will extend until next Sunday, March 16.
Throughout this week, the members of the Traffic Sector and Subsectors of the Civil Guard, together with the municipal police of those municipalities that join the initiative, will carry out these controls. The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of the use of approved restraint systems, seat belts and CRS.
According to the latest data from the DGT, in Galicia 20 of the people who died in traffic accidents in passenger cars in 2024 did not use the belt. These data are particularly worrying since the use of the belt halves the risk of death in the event of an accident and by 77% in the event of the vehicle’s overturning. The belt protection capability is equally effective for all occupants, passengers travelling in the front seats, and also in the rear seats.
The campaign will consist of a significant increase in controls with the use of the maximum number of human and material resources available. Likewise, whenever possible, both the variable signage panels and the alphanumeric screens of the vehicles of the Civil Guard Traffic Group will warn drivers of the upcoming existence of controls.
Last year's special campaign
In the same campaign last year, 49,853 vehicles were controlled in Galicia, of which 1,030 were reported. Of the vehicles checked, 44,528 were passenger cars (854 complaints); 1,061 were taxis (2 complaints); 716 were buses (11 complaints); and 3,548 were freight transport vehicles (163 offences).
It should be remembered that since 2022 with the entry into force of the new reform of the Law on Traffic, Circulation of Motor Vehicles and Road Safety, not using, or not doing so properly, the safety belt and child restraint systems represents a loss of 4 points and a fine of 200 euros.
Surveillance and enforcement of the law respecting belt use and restraint systems has been consolidated as one of the most effective methods to maintain and increase the rate of belt use among vehicle occupants. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the installation of automated control cameras for the use of the seatbelt, of which 60% are located on conventional roads, where there is a greater accident, and the remaining 40% on high-occupancy roads.